Chapter 43 – The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System

Chapter 43: The Protagonist Dies, Everything Ends

Ming Fan cheered, “Little apprentice-sister, great hit!”

Ning Yingying said weakly, “…no, it actually wasn’t me…”

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Ming Fan encouraged, “Don’t be afraid—if you hit her then you hit her! Everyone saw that she started it. Even though other people haven’t hurt her out of the kindness of their hearts, she still launched a sneak attack on them. Serves her right!” All of the Qing Jing Peak disciples chimed in.

Ming Fan cut her off and spat, “You’re the one who hit her! Remember, if the Qing Jing Peak’s disciples are being bullied, we must return it twofold! If we don’t, we’re unworthy of Shizun’s teachings!”

Shen Qingqiu cheered in his mind with the rest of the disciples: this child Ming Fan really took his teachings to heart. Right right right, it was exactly like this: an eye for an eye!

Shen Qingqiu stealthily slipped into the crowd of Huan Hua Palace disciples and finally caught that howling, shrieking old cat. No matter how stupid they were, they should still be able to tell that something wasn’t right. The Young Palace Mistress cupped her big red cheeks, which looked to be extremely cumbersome, and stared at him with a surge of resentment. “Hey! Who exactly are you? You have the audacity to make fun of me like this?”

The Huan Hua Palace disciples encircled him completely and shouted, “Palace Mistress is asking you a question!”

Shen Qingqiu bent down and released the cat. When he straightened, he pointed at the disciple that was hunched over, lurking in the very back. He said, “Why aren’t you guys asking who that is?”

Everyone’s eyes instantly focused on that person.

The Young Palace Mistress was currently in a fit of anger, and at first, only glanced at the disciple. Unexpectedly, the more she looked, the more she felt something wasn’t quite right and couldn’t be bothered with Shen Qingqiu for the moment. She looked over and said suspiciously, “… who are you? Why do you look like that? Are you really from the Huan Hua Palace? Why have I never seen you before?”

This disciple faltered and didn’t speak. She turned towards her subordinates next. “What about you guys? Who knows him?”

That disciple saw that things weren’t looking too good and let out a strange cry. Everyone pointed their swords at him. Shen Qingqiu sucked in a deep breath and shouted, “Don’t get close to him!” At the same time, he picked up another green leaf and flicked it over with a flip of his wrist.

This time, Ming Fan also saw the force behind this leaf, not just Ning Yingying, and was stunned. The green leaf cleaved through the air with the glow of a sword’s spiritual energy and sliced open the disciple’s outer robe, exposing the skin and flesh inside.

This time, everyone looked as if they had seen a ghost, and they kept backing away. Some of them even squawked and immediately ran out of the wine shop.

Scarlet skin!

It was exactly what Shen Qingqiu had guessed. Based on what he knew, there was only one kind of person who would carry themselves like that: a sower who had disguised itself as an ordinary human!

Since it only painted its exposed limbs the same color as human skin and didn’t bother with the rest of its body, its identity was revealed on the spot. The sower decided that it basically had nothing to lose and charged forward with a loud yell and bloodshot eyes. Most of these disciples were young juniors that hadn’t gone to Jinlan City last time. They had only heard of this strange creature, but they had never seen it before. Yet at that moment, it actually appeared in front of them and, moreover, madly lunged at anyone in sight, scaring everyone out of their minds. Shen Qingqiu saw that the sower was about to throw itself onto a Qing Jing Peak disciple and flashed in front of it, smashing his foot into its chest. The kick sent the thing flying into two tables, violently spewing fresh blood. He looked back and shouted, “Why aren’t you leaving!”

Ning Yingying was both crying and laughing at the same time. “Shizun, are you Shizun?”

It can’t be—you can recognize me even with a yellowish-brown beard stuck all over my face? Even though he was a tiny bit touched, if she didn’t leave during a time like this and stayed behind to drag him down instead, even revealing his true identity underneath his disguise—sure enough, her IQ was still low!

When he saw that the sower was about to stubbornly rush over again, Shen Qingqiu used one hand to push Ning Yingying out warmly and gently while using his other hand to send out a fire attack coldly and severely.

It didn’t hit.

No, it was never sent out!

The mouthful of blood that concealed itself in Shen Qingqiu’s body for many years rose sluggishly in his throat again. He really had enough of this ‘Without A Cure’ poison that liked to screw him over in critical moments!

He snapped numerous times in a row, but not even a single spark appeared. It was just like a lighter that had run out of fuel, and no matter how many times he snapped, he just couldn’t ignite any sparks. Shen Qingqiu was flustered and exasperated, but the sower had already rushed over and latched onto his thigh.

Shen Qingqiu, “…”

He subconsciously raised his plagued-with-misfortune right hand. Indeed, three red spots appeared and started cheerfully spreading at a speed visible to the naked eye.

This was unfair. Why did it infect him so fast every time!

Maybe with his grief and indignation serving as fuel, his last snap finally caused an explosive ball of fire to kindle between his fingers. Shen Qingqiu sent the sower that was hugging his thigh flying with a kick before he cleaved downwards with the flaming fireball in his hand!

The sower’s body was obliterated amidst the flames and sounds of shrieking. Ning Yingying and Ming Fan tearfully rushed forward, one on his right and one on his left. “Shizun!”

The other Qing Jing Peak disciples also wanted to join in on the fun, but they were quickly forced to retreat by Shizun’s “go outside and run five hundred laps” gaze.

Since his disguise was already ruined, Shen Qingqiu scrubbed his face with his hands and regained his original appearance. He asked, “Was anyone infected?” Then he sincerely and earnestly said the lines that he had always wanted to say to someone else: “Quickly, take medicine. You must not stop taking medicine!”

A female voice and a male voice, one high and one low, sobbed into his ears. “Shizun, we finally found you.” “Shizun, this disciple has missed you so much!”

Shen Qingqiu had yet to respond when his back suddenly grew cold. He pushed aside the two disciples as the Xiu Ya sword flew out from his robes and blocked the Young Palace Mistress’ iron whip with a clang.

If the Young Palace Mistress could be described as being in a fit of fury during her previous dispute with the Qing Jing Peak, this time, her actions truly carried the intent to kill. In her hands was a short whip that could slice like a dagger and cut like an ax, vicious and threatening.

Shen Qingqiu asked bluntly, “Are you crazy? Where do you get such vigorous anger from every day?” He had wanted to ask this question for a long time now!

At first, Shen Qingqiu thought that she was crying about the Huan Hua Palace disciples who were killed or injured during the Immortal Alliance Conference again. Who knew that next, the Young Palace Mistress would scream, “All Ma Shixiong did was say something that wasn’t very nice when he was imprisoning you, yet you just… you just… he died so tragically, so tragically…”

Who was Ma Shixiong? Could it be that bitter and sarcastic pockmarked fellow? Shen Qingqiu said, “When I left Huan Hua Palace, I did not take a single person’s life. What’s the significance of you telling me that he died tragically?” He looked back and asked quietly, “…he really died? How tragically?”

Ming Fan also answered softly, “He really died, very, very tragically. His whole body was blue and rotten, and they say that he was infected by the demon race’s poison.”

The Young Palace Mistress said, “There’s no use arguing! Today, I’ll make you pay for the death of my Huan Hua Palace’s disciples with your life!”

Shen Qingqiu said, “All my life, I have never been good at using poison. There are thousands upon thousands of ways to kill your Huan Hua Palace’s disciples, so why would I select the most troublesome method? It’s true that I was escaping from prison, but who can prove that I killed someone?”

A Huan Hua Palace disciple yelled, “Then who can prove that you didn’t kill someone?”

If this knot wasn’t untangled now, he was afraid that the two great sects wouldn’t be able to let matters rest in the future. Shen Qingqiu deliberated for a moment before probing, “What does head disciple Gongyi Xiao have to say about this matter?”

The Young Palace Mistress’ eyes opened wide, and the tears that she had originally held back started to fall from her eyes again. “You still dare to mention Gongyi Shixiong?”

She pointed her whip straight at Shen Qingqiu. “Do you think that just because he’s dead and there’s no evidence left, you can just make up whatever you want about him now?”

Shen Qingqiu felt like he was struck by a thunderbolt.

He caught the edge of her whip with two fingers and suspected that he’d heard something wrong. “What did you say? Gongyi Xiao died? When did that happen? Who did it?”

Even in the original work, wasn’t the most tragic thing that happened to Gongyi Xiao the fact that he was assigned to go to Huan Hua Palace’s most remote region to do some trivial labor?

The Young Palace Mistress said viciously, “Who did it? You still have the nerve to ask who did it!”

All of the Huan Hua Palace disciples rushed forward at once, and she commanded, “Kill this despicable traitor, and get revenge for Gongyi Shixiong and the Shixiong and Shijie who were guarding the water dungeon!”

Shen Qingqiu’s heart went cold. Did Luo Binghe kill all the disciples guarding the water dungeon, including Gongyi Xiao, without sparing anyone?

Could these hundred plus human lives all be placed on his head?

Ning Yingying said angrily, “We can’t ever explain things clearly to you, you stupid girl. Can’t you see that my Shizun also didn’t know about this?” The Qing Jing Peak disciples immediately entered into the fray as well. There were countless swords, and it was too late for Shen Qingqiu to think carefully. When he saw that only endless fighting would ensue if things continued like this, he leaped out of the wine shop and lightly called, “Come out!” Indeed, both sides couldn’t be bothered to keep fighting, and they scrambled to squeeze out of the shop.

Once he landed on the street, Shen Qingqiu was speechless.

A large group of cultivators who were all wearing different styles of clothing stood in a line, combat ready, glaring at him menacingly.

Alright. After all, they had caused too much chaos inside of the wine shop just now, so it didn’t make much sense if people weren’t drawn over, right…

With a tap of his foot, Shen Qingqiu leaped onto the roof before flipping over and standing on the upturned eaves. He sucked in a deep breath of air before shouting from his core, “Liu—Qing—ge!”

Someone flew up on his sword and furiously rebuked, “Shen Qingqiu, you’re so evil. Did you purposefully run here and draw all of the manpower from various sects in a single place just so you could collude with the demon race and round up everyone in one fell swoop? Do you want to re-enact the tragedy of the Immortal Alliance Conference? My Ba Qi Clan won’t let you get your way!”

They could just blame whatever they wanted onto him at this rate, couldn’t they?!

Shen Qingqiu wasn’t even in the mood to strike back. The sharp whistling sound of sword energy came from the east, and a person in white flew over on his sword as fast as lightning. He had too much momentum, and he needlessly created a strong gust of wind to the point that it threw the criticizing person off his own sword.

Shen Qingqiu said, “My poison flared up again, so I can’t activate the energy to fly on my sword. If you don’t take me, I can only fall down from the sky.”

Liu Qingge sighed. “Come up.”

The crowd watching from below continued to endlessly denounce him with things like ‘the Cang Qiong Mountain sect is a pit of wickedness’ or ‘the Bai Zhan Peak and the Qing Jing Peak are partners in crime’, but both of them acted as if they couldn’t hear anything. The Cheng Luan sword shot towards the sky, the wind whistling in their ears, as they left the rest of the people on their flying swords far behind.

Liu Qingge said, “Go where?”

Shen Qingqiu said, “The roof of the tallest building in this town. Please help me keep these people away in a bit.”

Liu Qingge said, “What on earth is up with you? If you didn’t want to go into the dungeon, why didn’t you say so earlier instead of making things so troublesome? Even if the Cang Qiong Mountain sect doesn’t know how to navigate the water dungeon, did you think we wouldn’t know how to tear it apart?”

Shen Qingqiu said, “That… there’s no need to tear the water dungeon apart…”

Liu Qingge said, “Get off.”

Shen Qingqiu, “I only said that there was no need for it anymore, but actually, I’m still grateful for your good intentions. It isn’t necessary to throw me off, is it?”

Liu Qingge, “Something’s coming.”

Shen Qingqiu didn’t say anything else and instantly jumped down.

The tips of his feet landed on the tiles, and he stood on the eaves of a roof. Cheng Luan’s momentum was extremely strong, so Liu Qingge did a dazzling backflip on his sword in the air before finally coming to a stop. He looked attentively off into the distance, and Shen Qingqiu followed his gaze to look over as well.

But then, he heard a sneer come from behind him. “Where are you looking?”

Shen Qingqiu narrowly avoided staggering off the roof on the spot.

That ‘wait and see!’ unexpectedly wasn’t just lip service.

That also made sense. Since when was Luo Binghe someone who gave lip service?

Despite bearing the risk of the Heart Devil Sword’s counterattack, Luo Binghe actually still came to catch him… what a deep resentment.

Luo Binghe stared unwaveringly at them, his expression gloomy. He slowly reached out a hand towards Shen Qingqiu and said, “Come with me.”

“Luo Binghe, was it really worth it to exchange over a hundred Huan Hua Palace lives just so that I would be hated by everyone?”

Red flashed through Luo Binghe’s eyes.

He said coldly, “You won’t trust anything I say regardless, so there’s no need for this nonsense! I’ll ask you one more time—are you going to come over or not?”

He stubbornly refused to retract that hand. Shen Qingqiu still hadn’t answered yet when ten or so people suddenly appeared in the air around him on flying swords, completely surrounding them.

The one in lead was that man from the Ba Qi Clan. This time, his body seemed to be a little lower, as if he was using the horse stance on his sword to prevent himself from being thrown off again. He yelled, “Shen Qingqiu is ours! No one else should even think about touching…”

Luo Binghe violently turned his head and shouted, “Beat it!”

He didn’t even unsheathe his sword before a powerful wave of energy burst out of him, and there seemed to be a high-pitched whistling noise in everyone’s ears. This time, all ten or so people were thrown several meters away, swords and all. Half of them even crashed into a wall or pillar, causing fresh blood to spurt from their mouths.

The Ba Qi Clan encountered a truly powerful and overbearing aura and were completely wiped out. The observers left behind were all terrified: this black-clothed youth’s cultivation was extremely exceptional, so why had very few heard of his name before?

Liu Qingge pushed Shen Qingqiu. “Go. Do what you have to do!”

Shen Qingqiu said, “Can you handle him by yourself?!” 5:2, ah, 5:2, he hadn’t forgotten this score. He had called over Liu Qingge only because he wanted him to help take care of some of the small fries and conveniently give him a lift along the way. He didn’t want to bring misfortune on his head!

But these two were both characters who absolutely wouldn’t obediently listen to someone else. With some disagreement—no, without a single word, they both started fighting. The Cheng Luan sword was extremely powerful, but Luo Binghe didn’t draw his sword. Instead, spiritual energy began to gather in his hand, and he faced the attack head-on, using his palm as a blade!

Shen Qingqiu knew why he couldn’t draw his sword. There was no room for a single mistake during a duel between two masters, and this was the kind of moment where it was the easiest to be sucked into the void by the Heart Devil Sword. If the demonic energy invaded and seized his mind with killing intent while everyone was watching, then it wouldn’t be worth it. Luo Binghe actually had two cultivation systems in his body; one set was for spiritual energy, and the other was for demonic energy. Since his mixed blood had blended successfully enough, the two cultivation systems coexisted peacefully and worked well on their own. If needed, he could even use two different attacks in his right and left hands respectively and combine them to show off. But right now, first of all, he couldn’t draw his sword, and second, it wasn’t convenient for him to use demonic energy. There was no way to hold back its destructive power, and so, unexpectedly, he was on the same level as Liu Qingge.

A burst of enormous noise shook the roof, and the white rainbow of spiritual energy exploded together. They were fighting too intensely, so the cultivators below who were from the various sects didn’t dare to just rashly rush in. Even a brainless rookie who had never experienced such a thing before could see that if they even barely touched the two’s murderous auras, they wouldn’t need cultivation to instantly fly away!

They fought so fiercely that Shen Qingqiu also felt an itch in his heart. If it weren’t for Without A Cure activating at such an inconvenient moment, he truly would have also wanted to go up and fight a bit too. Unfortunately, time was about to be up. He narrowed his eyes and stared at the sky before leaping onto the tallest floor of the building.

The wind whistled past him as he stood on the roof as if it could blow him right off.

Luo Binghe looked at him from afar and suddenly felt a burst of impatience. He was in no mood to continue fighting, and ruthlessness rose sharply in his eyes as he placed his hand on the hilt of the long sword on his back.

Cheng Luan stabbed straight towards him, and Luo Binghe lightly tapped the edge of the Heart Devil Sword, which was as thin as a cicada’s wing. It seemed as if waves and waves of terrifying intent slowly oozed from the center of the sword, and Cheng Luan came to a complete stop in mid-air.

Cheng Luan wasn’t obeying his command. Liu Qingge had never once encountered this kind of situation before, and his momentary shock was hard to conceal. But Shen Qingqiu knew that the situation was serious.

If Luo Binghe was actually counterattacked by the Heart Devil Sword right now, then the people here in Huayue City and within a hundred kilometers all wouldn’t need to live anymore!

As a last resort, the Xiu Ya sword left its sheath, and Shen Qingqiu said, “Luo Binghe, come here. We should settle things today.”

Luo Binghe raised his head and looked at him darkly. In the next moment, he flashed to about three feet in front of him before raising his hand to create a formation that covered the entire upper half of the roof, cutting them off from everyone else.

He laughed with a twisted expression. “Settle things? How do you want to settle things? Shizun, can you and I still settle things cleanly by now?”

How could they not settle things cleanly?

Shen Qingqiu drew in a light breath of air. Even though he was holding his sword in his hand, he had no intention of crossing blades. In reality, he couldn’t do much right now even with this sword.

He said sincerely, “As matters stand, I have nothing much to say. As expected, even if every trick is used, it is difficult to disobey destiny.”

Luo Binghe sneered, “Destiny? What’s destiny? Is it allowing a four-year-old child to be bullied and humiliated without anyone lending a helping hand? Is it letting an innocent old woman die from anger and starvation?”

With every sentence, he took a step closer aggressively. “Or is it letting me fight with a dog over a scrap of food? Or is it allowing the person who I wholeheartedly, genuinely admired to deceive me, abandon me, betray me, and personally push me down into a place worse than purgatory?!”

He said, “Shizun, look. Am I strong enough the way I am now?

“Do you know how I spent those three years underground?

“During those three years in that endless abyss, all I did was spend every moment, every second, thinking about Shizun.

“Thinking about why Shizun would treat me like this, why you wouldn’t even give me a chance to explain or beg for mercy.

“You want me to acknowledge that this is the destiny that the heavens assigned me?

“I thought about it for so long, and I finally understand now.”

In Luo Binghe’s smile, there was a hint of savagery.

“None of that is important, it’s enough if I do what I want to do. Destiny doesn’t exist at all, or if it does, then it’s something that should be trampled underneath my feet!”

The scorching sun was directly overhead, and the last of the clouds also vanished without a trace. Sunlight flooded the entire city, causing everything to glow radiantly as if pure gold had been spilled all over the land.

Shen Qingqiu looked away from the sky. Because he had been looking directly at the sun, it seemed as if there were some tears glistening in his eyes.

Even though there had been no other alternative, he truly had played a large role for Luo Binghe to reach this point today, turning him into a dark youth who was vindictive against society. His original intention had been to prevent Luo Binghe from going to the extremes, but everything he did not only failed to achieve any real purpose, but also carved Luo Binghe’s hatred and resentment even deeper into him.

When Luo Binghe saw his expression, he suddenly softened and couldn’t help but be a little dazed. But simultaneously, a fierce, sharp headache pierced his head. He clenched his teeth and gripped the Heart Devil Sword tightly, which was attempting to struggle free.

Not good. At the very least, he couldn’t be counterattacked by it here!

When he heard this voice, he was suddenly taken back to his years at Qing Jing Peak.

It was even more difficult for Luo Binghe to control himself. It felt as if there was a sharp knife churning his mind, and the black flames surrounding the Heart Devil Sword abruptly surged out.

This time, it pressed down on him violently, and Luo Binghe was struggling to endure the severe pain when he suddenly felt someone gently embrace him.

Like the collapse of a vast dam, a burst of spiritual energy flooded into Luo Binghe’s body, bringing a relief akin to a torrential rainstorm after a long drought. In an instant, it extinguished the evil energy of the Heart Devil sword that he was currently in a deadlock with.

Luo Binghe’s breathing evened out and everything returned to normal, but immediately, his heart went cold.

Self-destruction!

Some of the people below the roof were already gasping and shouting, “Shen Qingqiu self-destructed!”

The Xiu Ya sword fell first. Its master had already self-destructed his spiritual energy, and a sword was only there if its master was. It broke into numerous pieces in midair.

Shen Qingqiu always had the bad habit of swallowing his blood back down his throat, but at that moment, he couldn’t swallow it down anymore.

After his spiritual energy destructed completely, he was now a good-for-nothing that was even worse off than an ordinary, common person. His voice was light and buoyant, and most of it was blown away by the wind, but Luo Binghe still heard it clearly.

What he said was: “Everything that’s happened in the past, I’ll repay it all to you today.”

It could be considered a final act of kindness.

Afterward, he toppled backward and fell from the roof.

At first, Luo Binghe only stared blankly at him, and it was as if everything had been slowed down several times for him in that second. Even the moment where Shen Qingqiu fell was so slow that it was incomparably clear.

The body that was falling in mid-air was like a bloodstained paper kite. It was only when Luo Binghe’s body started to move on its own, fighting to catch Shen Qingqiu before he hit the ground, that he discovered Shen Qingqiu’s chest was light and flimsy—his entire body was empty of spiritual energy. He truly seemed like a paper kite that would break with one tear.

He didn’t even need to tear anything. It was already broken.

He still didn’t dare believe it.

Didn’t Shizun loathe his kind the most?

Wasn’t he always unwilling to get close to him? Didn’t he draw a clear line between them?

Then why would he tell him to control his heart so gently, as gently as back then, at the last moment?

… why did he not hesitate to self-destruct his soul and help Luo Binghe suppress the Heart Devil Sword’s counterattack?!

It seemed that there were people shouting things like ‘execute the demon’ and ‘righteousness above loyalty’ all around him. The inside of Luo Binghe’s head was a muddled mess, and he could only hold onto Shen Qingqiu and murmur, “Shizun?”

The Qing Jing Peak disciples and Huan Hua Palace disciples fought each other the entire way over before they finally reached them. Ning Yingying had long since heard that Luo Binghe wasn’t dead, and she was both surprised and happy to be reunited with him, but then she saw Shen Qingqiu, whose eyes were already closed peacefully. The words she was about to say suddenly changed, and she said, trembling, “A-Luo… Shizun… what’s wrong with him?”

Liu Qingge walked over. There was still a trace of blood next to his lips, and he said with a heavy expression, “He’s dead!”

All the disciples were dumbstruck.

Suddenly, Ming Fan shouted, “Who killed him?!”

Everyone’s eyes landed on Luo Binghe.

Even though, strictly speaking, Luo Binghe couldn’t really be regarded as the one who killed him, but Shen Qingqiu indeed self-destructed and died in front of him.

Ming Fan and the crowd of disciples behind him all drew their swords, ready to strike. Liu Qingge said, “You all cannot defeat him.”

Ming Fan’s eyes bled crimson. “Liu Shishu! Then Liu Shishu can kill him and get revenge for Shizun, right?!”

Liu Qingge said evenly, “I also cannot defeat him.”

Ming Fan choked.

Liu Qingge wiped away the traces of blood next to his lips and said, “He didn’t kill Shen Qingqiu.

“But although he was not killed by him, he did die for him,” Liu Qingge said, one word at a time, like a sharp sword being drawn, “The Cang Qiong Mountain sect must avenge this wrongdoing!”

Luo Binghe turned a deaf ear to everything else, greatly agitated and at a loss of what to do. He was still holding Shen Qingqiu’s body, which was rapidly cooling down. It seemed like he wanted to call for him loudly and forcefully shake him awake, yet he didn’t dare to, as if he was afraid of being scolded. He said slowly, “Shizun?”

Ming Fan shouted, “Stop calling him Shizun already, he can’t bear the responsibility of being called your Shizun! My fellow Shidi, who cares if we can’t defeat him? At the most, we’ll just be beaten to death by him!”

Ning Yingying raised a hand to stop him. Ming Fan was seized by an outburst of anger, and he thought that Ning Yingying was still recalling her former affection for Luo Binghe. He accused, “Little apprentice-sister, it has already reached this point. Why are you still being childish?!”

Ning Yingying said, “Shut up. Even if you rush up and court death, would Shizun know? What would he say if he knew? Shizun would rather himself be infected before letting us suffer or be taken advantage of. This is how little you treasure your life?”

For so many years, Ning Yingying always had the charming attitude of a young maiden. When she suddenly grew unyielding at that moment, Ming Fan was completely stunned.

After a long pause, tears abruptly started to fall from his eyes.

He sniffled and sobbed as he said miserably, “But… if it’s like this, Shizun was wronged too much…

“Clearly, he didn’t do it, yet everyone said that he colluded with the demon race, that he killed people, that he’s scum, so they shut him in the water dungeon… he didn’t even have a chance to clear his name.”

He was choked with sobs. “Clearly, he liked this brat so much… he even bet five thousand spirit stones on him during the Immortal Alliance Conference, carrying such high expectations for him. He was so happy when other people praised him… afterward he wasn’t willing to return the Zheng Yang sword to Wan Jian Feng, insisting on keeping it and making a sword mound behind the mountain… he was heartbroken for such a long time… and in the end, this is the kind of fate that he meets!”

Luo Binghe listened faintly as if he was half in a dream and half in reality.

Was that how it was?

Back then, Shizun was also actually… very heartbroken?

Ning Yingying took a step forward, and though the rims of her eyes bright red, the tone of her voice was steady. She said, “A-Luo, even though we weren’t there during the debacle at Jinlan City, we all heard about it. I don’t know why you didn’t return to Cang Qiong Mountain sect or the Qing Jing Peak even though you didn’t die, and I also don’t know why you didn’t speak up for Shizun. I know even less about what exactly happened at the Immortal Alliance Conference. But at the very least, Shizun’s kindness to raise you and train you throughout the years, as well as his tender affection for you and his desire to protect you, were not fake. Everyone knew this naturally.”

After a pause, she continued, “If you feel that Shizun wasn’t good to you a very long time ago, then think of the day you lost your jade pendant. Shixiong and the rest were inexplicably beaten back, and you must have also thought that something wasn’t quite right. There isn’t another person on Qing Jing Peak who would pick leaves and send them flying as weapons to teach others a small lesson.”

Luo Binghe involuntarily held Shen Qingqiu closer.

He said in a small voice, “I was wrong, Shizun, I really… know that I was wrong.

“I… I didn’t want to kill you…”

Ning Yingying said loudly, “Everything that needs to be said has already been said. Even if there was once a time that Shizun was unfair to you or there’s some grudge that you can’t let go of in your heart, today everything can be considered to have been repaid to you, right? From today onwards, you…”

When she reached this part, she still couldn’t bear it and looked away. “I ask that you… do not call him Shizun anymore.”

“Repay”?

Yes. It seemed that Shizun had said he would “repay it all” to him just then.

Could it be that he was referring to… when he struck him down into the abyss in the past, so today, he would fall from a high building for him?

Luo Binghe panicked.

“I don’t need you to repay me. I… I just couldn’t control my anger,” he said out loud to himself. “I just couldn’t control my anger, since you acted as if you saw a ghost every time you saw me. You went on talking and laughing with other people as if nothing had happened. You were like that only with me in the past, but now you aren’t even willing to speak to me, always suspecting me… I was wrong.” He stammered and stuttered, wiping the blood off of Shen Qingqiu’s face as he spoke.

“You don’t like the fact that I’m part of the demon race, so I was afraid that if I went straight back to the Cang Qiong Mountain sect, you would chase me out. I thought that if I could seize the Huan Hua Palace and become a peak lord of the righteous path like you, maybe that would make you happy…”

Luo Binghe said in a trembling voice, “Shizun… I… I really…”

*******

Reika’s Notes:

This chapter is by Yan. Yan asked if we ought to not put the chapter title up there but I was like, “Ummm the author put that there, we only translate, we don’t censor the author…. only the crab does that.” So yeah, massive spoiler in the chapter title.

Farewell, dearest cannon fodder Gongyi Xiao.

I cry every time I read this chapter. The comments are open, go ahead and let it all out!

i started reading this recommended by a friend, but it only took two chapters to be engaged so deep. Soooooo deep, I read continously until now and the title made me think in Luo and not Shen… but damn that ending was super dramatic… but its not the ending, what?!

So thanks for your hard work, thanks for bring this beatiful and charming novel for us. Its truly a gift.

This chapter is sad and yet it’s so wonderful and full of feelings!
I can’t believe this chapter’s ending tho, think something is coming up after this BUT!
Reading SQQ’s disciples dialog about his grief of LBH really moved my heart I cried inside huhu TAT
On top of that tho I CAN’T BELIEVE GONGYI GONE THIS FAST WHYYYY TAT

Ahh the chapter that made me teary-eyed. That little bit where NYY asks LBH not to call SQQ Shizun anymore, drawing a line and cutting off his ties to the sect and herself….

And it’s so heartwarming how his disciples and the sect in general (esp LQG lol, isn’t it cute how he just yells for him when he needs help?) are so fond of SQQ. No wonder they behaved like a ruffian was out to steal their precious daughter when Bing-mei and him finally got together.

Omg…. this is too tragic😢 I left this for a couple months to binge read today… and was expecting happy Shizun LuoBinghe times…. SHIZUN!!!!! Don’t die!!!😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 Luo Binghe… You are still such a good kid…

I rather like Gongyi Xiao.. I’m shocked I really didn’t expect that.. At all…

But I’ve been waiting for this turn of events gor so long (I saw some spoilers), and am reaaaaally happy that we’re finally here.. Thogh it’s sad I’m just glad that Luo Binghe doesn’t misunderstand anymore. I think for me the misunderstandings are what hurt most…

anyways thank you very much for translating! You do it so well! This is weekly highlights for me! 😀😀

Gongyi Xiao was too good for this world. And Luo Binghe… this whole time I thought he was pulling a Sasuke, but he just wanted to make his shizun proud and stay on the proper path! My heart broke more!

And Ning Yingying… I didn’t like her at the beginning because she was the stereotypical dumb satellite love interest. But she’s grown up and matured so much since the first chapters! And then shecompletely shattered my heart by asking Binghe not to call Shen Qingqiu shizun anymore.

Thanks for the chapter .
I’ve watched the spoiler on video and wonder when SQQ will die, but I don’t think it will be so soon. I’m not really prepared and shocked.
No need for chopping union here
(╥_╥)

I really do wonder who is behind to all this sham and scam… why does our cute master-disciple need to suffer. Whoever behind this need to be chop a million times then boil in a thousand degree oil then feed to the dogs (╥﹏╥)

A huge round of applause for the peerless beauty Ning Yingying here, for single-handedly managing to not only deescalate a situation that would have almost certainly ended up a bloodbath, but also for dealing out the most vicious of blows to LBH. Martial sister really does know how to hit where it really hurts! SQQ, you were wrong about that girl’s IQ, she has probably got to be the smartest of that group! Ning Yingying fan club has a new member!!

Although, i wouldn’t be surprised if this just led to LBH jumping completely off the slippery slope and go full demon, if his desire to secretly become a righteous peak master was what caused him to indirectly lose SQQ. That and poor communication

But I can’t help wonder about Gongyi Xiao’s death…if LBH didn’t kill him, who did? A demon spy in Huan Hua palace? Maybe someone in the demonic realm didn’t appreciate LBH’s whole “be righteous and accepted by shizun” plan and followed him here to mess it up? The only (living) demons we know so far are the dream demon, Mo Beijun and Sha Hualing (and party). Sha Hualing might not appreciate her crush going to the righteous path but doesn’t seem to have the cunning for this sort of conspiracy and dream demon can’t really affect the physical world anymore which leaves Mo Beijun? Or maybe another demon? Even then, to avoid being detected by LBH, the culprit would have to be either very good at hiding themselves or someone LBH trusts…

LBH, use your dark majyyks to resurrect SQQ! Maybe without the blood control this time…

I say! Really! You know what I think? I imagine myself just dragging the both of them by the hand and make them sit down and then I’ll point at their faces and say “Damn! Just shut up and talk with each other! Is it so damn hard!?” 😤

I… uhhh..didn’t get spoilered by the title? Since I thought that protagonist=luo binghe, so I was wondering if the title meant he’ll die or something. But then he showed up and the ones who are dead were those other disciples so I got really confused. It was only when I got to the end of the chapter that I realized that protagonist meant shizun TT_TT

Oh boy, I thought so too. But listen. You were not wrong. The protagonist is Luo Binghe. If he let his soul be consumed by the mcEvil sword or whatever, and died, the story would end. SQQ saved him, and the title’s like “here’s why he did it”.

Like everyone else, my heart really hurts for both of them. More so LuoBinghe, since, throughout all this, he has never once had the gift of foresight. Everything up till now has him being controlled by a prewritten system of fate that he’s had to struggle against alone. Once again, I love SQQ, but I do not feel sorry for him xD LBH has always been the victim in this and needing support and love for his little heart ;_;

Man it felt good for all the misunderstandings to come out! Finally SQQ and LBH can see where the other might have been coming from.

I can’t wait till these two muffins get to snuggle each other x3

On another note. A moment of silence for Gongyi Xiao -_- He made such a big impact and its a terrible injustice for him to die off screen like that. I hope he died with honor, and it was quick and painless. I’m sure that bitch had something to do with it and I should love to see her struck with leprosy and haletosis. Seeing her beauty and pristineness turn to filth would be heavenly. Death is too kind a fate for her.

And Liu Qingge! Best bro! I feel like Lan Wangji was inspired by his char xD Too wonderful. He needs his own hubby to pair up with x3

Even though I know what’s going to happen, reading it is… … SQQ… T_T
And LBH finally realizes it. Finally. Finally, only when something happens to his beloved then he realises it 🙁
Thank you for all your hardwork!! Looking forward to the next chapter!!

Throughout the whole novel, I could relate to SQQ the most. His line of thinking and his decisions were what I definitely would have done myself. This chapter (I didn’t read any spoilers or anything) is somewhat expected and unexpected to me. Expected because, despite everything, SQQ truly cared about LBG. Unexpected because it was actually happened sooner than I anticipated. Kudos to the ever hardworking translators who were able to beautifully project the feelings of this chapter. It managed to make me cry like a baby.

Something about the flower?? Shen quingqiu and the author had a plan concerning the flower.. i forgot its name. I think Shen quingqiu has a plan. Also gongyi xiao is really dead?? Who killed him? And why? He was such a cool character.. one of my favourite character in the novel… I just cant believe it…

I still don’t get it….
Why did Shizun do all of this?
Why did he act like a ghost every time he saw him? He broke the anti OOC detriment. So he could really do anything and be himself.
And… he could’ve calmed his anger by using the jade necklace….
He didn’t have to kill himself?….
Like… what the actual f*** is going on?
I don’t fucking understand

……..
Thinking about it.
Is it because he felt guilty for pushing him? But he had no choice. It was part of the story. If he didn’t. He would’ve died somehow instantly.
But… the Ml came out in the end… yet after. He just acted SO WEIRD AND DIFFERENT TO HIM

I DONT F****** UNDERSTAND EVEN AFTER THINKING ABOUT IT.
What the actual f*** is going on in this story right now.

If someone doesn’t help me. Please
I’m legit dropping this novel. Right now.

It’s because of the system that SQQ had to push LBH into the abyss. And after LBH returned, he thought that LBH wanted to take revenge. And as the original story, he was supposed to be killed by LBH, right? It made him suspicious and afraid of LBH.
But, not to spoil you, it is just a part of the plan! So, be patient a lil bit more keke

Well, the original shizun also disliked Luo very much so I don’t think that avoiding him was OOC. He also wasn’t angry at that point but really agitated and battling with his sword so the pendant wouldn’t have helped much. And he acted as a ghost everytime cause he thought that he was hated and feared that he would end up like in the original story.
About him self destructing, it was because he actually cared about Luo and didn’t want the sword to overtake him(or his demon side). At that point because of his state he couldn’t control any spiritual power and he used the only way he had to calm him.

Really? But it was obvious from his behavior that he was jealous and angry and very very very sad that he was hurt by his beloved Shizun. And he expressed MANY TIMES HE WANTED TO TALK TO HIM MANY MANY MANY MANY TIMES.
But Shen only avoided and didn’t talk to him.
And it was out of fear?… I didn’t notice it was fear. It was like… just plain avoidance. Or something. But it was fear? I think I need to reread them. I didn’t really notice the fear. Because Shen still cared for him deeply and immensely.
And we can see from his inner monologue. But it was confusing he never did anything and still avoided.
But still. ML ONLY WANTED TO TALK AND KNOW ABOUT EVERYTHING.
Was… that so hard?… I think not. Which is why I’m so confused

So basically SQQ has the trouble of not being able to see the other characters as more than characters in a book. He fails to see that they are real people who are capable of growth and change, whose personalities and feelings can change from what they were in the original novel. Based on what happened in the original novel SQQ thinks that LBH hates him since he pretty much betrayed him. SQQ pretty much thinks that he activated LBH’s rage mode and that all LBH wants to do is to turn him into a human stick like what happened to the original SQQ; that’s why SQQ is so awkward and timid around LBH even though he really wants to fix their relationship—he doesn’t think that it’s possible because he doesn’t think LBH would believe him. And because SQQ can’t see past his own perceptions, he fails to see LBH’s true feelings. Yea, SQQ is pretty dense. All of MXTX’s MCs so far are XD (not sure about “No Rest For the Death God”) and a lack of communication plays a fairly large role in all of MXTX’s stories so far. Sorry if this doesn’t make much sense or if it doesn’t satisfactorily answers your questions. I hope you stay with this novel as it truly is pretty entertaining.

But… SQQ saw his anger meter. AND IT WAS A MEASLY 50!!
IT WASNT THAT HIGH SO LIKE Wtf.
And he acted chill about it and everything. Only freaked out a bit about how little it was and yet so scary.
And LBH’s actions are so… wrong? He killed people and even tried to make him into a villain. How does that play into his whole “trying to get Shizun” crap. And even his whole monologue here after SQQ dies. It barely fixes his whole character and his whole actions the past couple of chapters.
I am so confused.
And angry.
VERY ANGRY.
They went back and forth for so long that it’s pissing me off. And even caused the deaths of others.
… and I see your point of SQQ viewing people as 2d instead of 3D. Based on his reaction to Gongyi Xiao’s death. He barely did anything. I didn’t really notice that.. I thought he started to care about everything?.. reading this I didn’t really have much inclination that he viewed it as such. I thought he was actively living in this world. Especially after finding the author. The two join into an alliance and attempted to live together and face the coming tragedies.

Well, you did forget one main point. It wes said that after the ml came back, he was like a two faced person; smiling brightly, but killing behind the scene. So SQQ thought he was acting and it wasn’t his real feelings and he didn’t defend him in that city and even killed so many and everything was blamed on SQQ. So SQQ thought it was his plan to get revenge slowly and because of this he was kind of afraid of him killing him at anytime.
And he still liked the ml from before becoming black so he couldn’t steel his heart and just watch the ml suffer before his eyes so he used the only solution to help him as our friend mentioned and i think he did this knowing he has a plan and can solve this problem of his (being chased and killed by ml) once and for all.

Can’t really say anything without spoilers, but 1) even though the anger meter wasn’t that high it was still scary to SQQ, 2) he kind of had more important things to worry about than Gonyi Xiao’s death (though he was saddened by it), and 3) as for LBH framing Shizun…again can’t say anything without spoilers but…you’ll see.

OK so here things are suppose to be confusing now even SQQ is confused timings are far too confusing but here are key words “Sun and Need Dew” “ugly snake” things won’t be explained till later on but ya SQQ cared and feared LBH but all the events that had happened are out of proportion and SQQ had accidenly awoken something even SQH didn’t know about it gets better after this chapter XD

The jade pendant is for cooling LBH’s rage points, probably wouldn’t work against the demonic sword. And if SQQ doesn’t pull LBH back to sanity, it would be Game Over for everyone in the city. So either SQQ pulls a suicide move to save LBH, or LBH goes on a possessed rampage and kills everyone or ends up getting killed by other sects. Since SQQ feels that he owes LBH, and he doesn’t want to see his disciples and Liu Qingge get caught in LBH’s rampage, and the fact that SQQ does have a backup plan of sorts, his act of self sacrifice is actually quite logical.

I believe it has something to do with Mr author (Airplane shooting towards the sky…right)
Because Shizun was searching for the tallest building for something.

Also I believe he totally forgot, or wanted to look more dramatic to get more points, or perhaps it was a part of the plot he had to follow. We don’t know since it abruptly changed from Shen Quinqiu’s POV to Luo Binhe’s POV.

If you want to drop it, that is your decision, I’m staying. I really want to know what happens next and eagerly wait the great work of the translators, editors and proofreaders to be able to read this story. So thankyou everyone and thankyou author for writing this interesting story.

I really admire this author cause it’s fabulous story but at the same time give headache and crushed my hearts.
I cried reading this story.
Suffocated while reading GDC.
And still afraid to read Heaven’s official blessing, maybe will read it after finishing this story and GDC that might immune my fragile heart a little (T ^ T)

My god the comments are just endless. And I understand why. But. But. But I still cant accept Shizun dying?! TT~TT
I was still hoping he didn’t really die and he’s just sleeping huhu. My eyes are sweating so much!!!!!
Thanks for the chapter! Thinking how I have to wait another week just for the next chap uwu I cannot~!

What else can I say?
R.i.p Gongyi Xiao. It’s not often to see a cannon fodder with functioning brain.
Shizun, don’t die!!!
At least later when he revived he won’t suffering from the stupid poison anymore?
Poor ml, though. He’s suffering for the past three years and going to suffer some more. His interaction with his beloved Shizun make me believe this is the rare case of piling up more misunderstanding the more they communicate, even if mc always try to escape at the first sight of his favourite disciple.
Thanks a lot for the chapter!

QAQ SHIZUUUUN QAQ I didn’t actually realize the title was a huge spoiler, because I thought that there was so much more to uncover that if the MC dies then he’ll be revived lel… More like I didn’t even think the protagonist is the MC, I thought it was LBH XD but he’s super OP so…??? Hmmhmm still wanna know about the original ‘s past lel :3 thank you for the chapter~~

I’m so wrecked oh my god. My favorite and most heartbreaking chapter, a dozen times worst than the Abyss scene because at least SQQ knows LBH is coming back.
I love Yingying and Ming Fan so much. They really adore their Shizun. Yingying has really matured. LQG is so reliable and cool too. SQQ is really fortunate to have so many people who love him in his second life.

Ahhhhh poor Binghe, being so surprised that SQQ sacrificed himself to stop his qi deviation, and then watching Shizun die before his eyes, THEN learning that SQQ really did care for him this whole time and mourned for him after the Abyss scene. The last line of the chapter makes him seem so small and incomplete aaaaahhhhhh T_T

Guess who knew this was coming? Me. I’ve read the MTL and found that part really heartbreaking and seeing it again translated so beautifully…could you get the person cutting onions out? Sigh. Just sigh

I read spoilers (unfortunately) so I knew that smth like that will happen, so you can say I was prepared.

Hahahahahahahahahah!
Lies! I wasn’t ready! I wasn’t, okay? I am still in a shock. My eyes! Who for Chuck’s sake is cutting onions here?
I thought: ‘Oh, new chapter? I don’t want to stockpile it so let’s read it.’ Ah, what a mistake. Hahahahaha, I still can’t believe it. What’s happening?
I’m gonna stop now and wait patiently for the new chap.

I mean… I read spoilers and knew it was gonna happen but I didn’t think it would happen so soon! That ending tho—- I pretty much cried off the make up I’d just put on. Why this. I cannot live this life. QAQ

Other than that, thank you for all the hard work! I’ve recently started reading this and I binged read all the way here. OTL

Gongyi Xiao! Awww…. I liked him. I wonder if Luo Binghe will find a way to revive Shen Qingqiu, or if he’ll find out his original body. I wonder how the author will react since he’s the only one who knows the whole truth about Shen Qingqiu and Shen Yuan.

Shen Qingqiu’s behavior at the end should have cleared his name. Not only did he give up his escape in order to save the same people who previously imprisoned him and seriously want him dead, but he threw away his life in order to save the man who was hunting him down. He did all of this while dying from illness, and he was even infected by one of those demons in the process

I’m glad Luo Binghe got some of his misunderstandings cleared up, so he can quit acting like a neglected yandere all the time.

I assume he’ll be revived somehow (or else that was a fairly terrible ending with no resolution), so in the end I’m just confused rather than sad.
Was shizun just like, “well f**k it. If I’m gonna die anyways, might as well save the town and luo binghe years of side quest with this f***ing sword by sacrificing myself.”?
And while LBH is confessing all his insecurities, our protag is dead. So aren’t all the misunderstanding just gonna keep on chugging once he’s revived?

Man, I read the spoilers but still…this chapter is too much. Probably the only one is not freaking out in shock and sadness right now, is Shizun himself…I wonder if he has clue of all this…by the way who exactly killed poor Gonxi and all the other disciples? And what about the past wrongdoings recalled by that the female cultivator? Will be cleared?

I actually couldn’t help myself and read this chapter raw with Google translate…. And i understand nothing of it! This is the difference of quality, my friends “cries happy tears”. Thank you for the update, also for making it so good that we can feel…

IVE BEEN DESTROYED,,, luo binghe you big dumbass,,this is so sad alexa play despacito
if only they would’ve communicated better and not doubted themselves and each other’s motives,,
i knew this was coming but i didnt read the title at all when i began reading this chapter and i was totally caught off guard?? i didnt expect it to happen so soon YALL IM DEAD why are they so tragic 💔 shizun is so amazing, he didn’t hesitate to do this i’m hURT and LUO BINGHE YOU REALLY WHAT? WBK YOU LOVE HIM
rip gongyi xiao tho,, and i just got a liking to him too, nobody will even have time for his tragic end after being overshadowed by shizun’s
(also,, not to be that person with second lead syndrome but ive really been vibing shen qingqiu and liu qingge, does anyone feel me??? so far ive only been upset with mc n ml, and liu qingge gave us some wholesome things 🤧)

I’ve read some of the spoilers and thought I was prepared for this, but damn, the author didn’t hold back on the angst level. The image of Luo Binghe holding Shen Qingqiu close in his arm, wiping blood off his face and trying to make things right between them with trembling voice–

If what Luo Binghe said is true then I have to wonder who released the sowers in Jin Lan City though. And I wonder if everyone can hear Luo Binghe’s small confession of being a part of the demon race.

The style of this precious author didn’t differ much from GDC; misunderstanding, slander, backstabbing left and right, righteous cultivators with rotten hearts who claims right but actually super wrong and vice versa, guilty until proven innocent.. Orz..

I always feels reading this precious author’s works to be like a roller-coaster.. Cos you never know what shocking plots gonna happen next, also will we have a get back and forth timeline like in GDC, you know when someone died then you back in the past to tell the why and how.. Orz..

That’s why sometimes I am pilling up updates from GDC and SVSS.. My heart needs a break from the shock ah.. 😱

That’s truee, it’s a great ride if you binge read, but the cliffhanger urges you to hang yourself too.
I’ve been pilling up GDC updates myself, but Shen Qingqiu’s mini inner theater keeps me devotedly following every SVSS updates, they prevent things from going way too dark to handle.

I didn’t see the title and I hate spoilers so I didn’t know that was coming but throughout the chapter, I was smiling like an idiot with a wierd feeling in my chest.
Don’t know how to say it but I hope they meet again soon. Shizun died after falling off a building and I died from falling off a cliff.
Thanks for the chapter!

Oh man, I knew he was going to end up dying at some point (I was spoiled) but I didn’t know it would be like this… :’’’(
That was so sad and heartbreaking! Truly beautiful, I love it. Look at poor lbh, he’s just standing there, unable to comprehend anything. Ugh it’s so good 😭😭😭

At lasttr,its hereeeeee.i was grinning the whole time i read this.at the part where sqq died,i was totally expecting it but….gyx DIED!? I totally liked him though!
Thank you very much for your hardwork in this chapter,love yalls 😍

Jdjjd jokes aside even knowing this was coming … I am the sad. every time RIP

Thank you Yan for translating this chapter!♡

So now we all know … finally…that BingHe was just crippled with self-doubt and fear and that’s why he didn’t return to Qing Jing peak. He was terrified of rejection; and then, hoping to gain approval, he tried to live righteously. But the master who once was affectionate and indulging to him specially… seemingly hated him! RIP my BingBing